Wilson Park Creek Project Phase 1 Rendering

Wilson Park Creek Reach 3

Project Update

In July 2023, the Phase IA construction for the partial excavation of the Wilson Park Creek – Reach 3 flood storage basin was completed! Ongoing vegetation maintenance will be conducted over the next four years to assess the performance of the native plantings, and if necessary eradicate non-native and invasive species.

Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 Project Overview

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is partnering with the City of Milwaukee and others to construct the Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 flood management project. The project is located between West Layton Avenue at South 1^st Street and the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPRR) tracks near I-94/43, on the southside of the City of Milwaukee. It drains approximately 3.7 square miles of highly urbanized land uses, including the majority of General Mitchell International Airport.

Approximately half of this section of Wilson Park Creek channel (4,750-feet) is concrete-lined and in poor condition. The creek fills quickly during rain events, and occasionally, these flood flows spill over the banks. New information now indicates that approximately 60 structures within the project area are at a high risk of flooding.

The Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 project is one part of a larger Kinnickinnic River Watershed Flood Management Plan, with the goal of reducing flood risk, improving public safety, improving riparian and aquatic habitat, and enhancing stream channel aesthetics. This is achieved by designing and constructing a flood storage basin, replacing the concrete lining and non-concrete lined stream channel with more natural stream design, and increasing the culvert capacity under South 5th and 6th Street.

A printable overview for the Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 project can be found here.

Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 Project Map

Project Benefits

The Wilson Park Creek project will help to address issues related to floodwater management by:

Reducing Flood Risk
Increasing Public Safety
Improving Riparian (area adjacent to the river) & Aquatic Habitat
Enhancing Stream Channel Aesthetic
Leveraging Additional Community Objectives

Drone footage was completed in November 2022 of Wilson Park Creek Reach 3. The ride begins at W. Layton Avenue and flys downstream (Phase 2), circles the flood storage basin (Phase IA) under construction, and flys back upstream.

Construction in April 2022
Construction in April 2022
Construction in November 2022
Construction in November 2022

Project Phases

Preliminary engineering was completed in July 2018 for the recommendations above within Wilson Park Creek Reach 3. The final design has been divided into two phases:

Phase 1A: Design and construction of a portion of the flood storage facility located downstream of South 6th Street. There will be no Wilson Park Creek flow diversion structure upon completion of this construction phase.
Phase 1B & Phase 2: Design and construction of Phase 1B (channel widening and naturalization downstream of South 6th Street, including the flow diversion structure into the flood storage facility), concrete removal and channel naturalization from South 6th Street to West Layton Avenue, and South 5th Street and South 6th Street culvert replacements.

Project Timeline

The project timeline is subject to change.

Summer 2019 – Completion of Preliminary Design
Summer 2021 – Phase 1A Partial Flood Storage Basin Design
2021 - 2023 – Phase 1B and Phase 2 Final Design
2022 - 2023 – Phase 1A Partial Flood Storage Basin Construction
2023 – Preliminary Engineering (other watershed projects)
Future – Floodplain Permitting and Remaining Phase 1B and Phase 2 Construction

Wilson Park Creek Project Phase 1 Rendering Map MMSD

Get Involved

MMSD will conduct a number of stakeholder and public outreach activities throughout the entirety of the project to provide information, obtain project input and feedback.

Sign-up for email updates, and stay tuned to our website and MMSD social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for upcoming Wilson Park Creek outreach activities.

Project Partners

MMSD is partnered with the following entities on the Wilson Park Creek project:

Additional Resources

Project Photos

Channel Rendering

Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 – Phase 2 preliminary channel rendering looking west toward South 5^th Street.
Looking West Downstream of South 6th Street.

This section of channel will be widened to increase its flow capacity during extreme events and the turf grass will be replaced with trees, shrubs and prairie plantings.
Wilson Park Creek Channel Looking West Toward South 5th Street

The section of concrete channel will be replaced with a wider and naturized section.
Wilson Park Creek Channel looking west toward South 6th Street

This existing culvert will be replaced with a larger structure to increase its flow capacity during extreme events.
Stakeholder Meeting

MMSD Project Manager Courtney Allen giving a stakeholder presentation to Gateway to Milwaukee board of directors (spring 2019) on the Wilson Park Creek Reach 3 project.

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Other MMSD Flood Management Projects

30th Street Corridor

With extensive input from neighbors and nearby businesses, a project is underway to capture and store 40 million gallons of stormwater to reduce the risk of flooding when storms roll over the area

County Grounds

This project captures and stores potential floodwater in one large basin that covers about 65 acres and holds 315 million gallons of water.

Greenseams

Greenseams® helps prevent future flooding and water pollution while supporting and protecting MMSD's structural flood management projects - infrastructure investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Greenseams® is an innovative flood management program that permanently protects key lands containing water absorbing soils.